Here is some new photos fram my friends operation. I have to praise my friend for letting me show these personal pictures of her and her journey through this big operation. I am SO proud of her! It is a big surgical interbention she has bin through, and it is so very brave to leave for Russia to get it done! :)

To explain shortly what they have done, they have shrunken the stomach-sack, made 3 cuts in the large intestine, and connected it sirect to her stomach-sack. For thos who hasn't already removed the gall bladder and the appendix, they also do that (at least here in Russia they do).

First for some pictures taken before the operation, just to show the stress that this is causing.Here she is at the hotel, wauting for the taxi to take us to the hospital. There she will be admitted and prepared for the operation of the anaesthetise doctor. The nerves are on top gear, and understandable you start wondering what you have gotten yourself into...

When we come to the hospital, she is beeing admitted to her room, and the reality kicks in. The emotions take over and you start realizing what is going to happen. Thos emotions can be difficult to handle. Espesially after the complications with the drivers and wrong hotel reservatins the day before. It is very understandable that there will be a reaction. Then it is good to have a friend there, to support you through those emotions and reactions. And we met a nurse which there wil be photos of later. She didn't know a single word in English, but she understood by the tears and bodylanguage that my friend was very nervous. So she came with napkins and a good hug! That was a good comfort for my friend in a very foreign country were she was very insecure. Even though they didn't speak the same language. This became our favourite nurse during our stay! :)

Then it is time for the anaesthetise preperations, with medication and examinations. The anaesthetise doctor couln't English eather, but earlier we had met another anaesthetise doctor, Boris, who luckily could English quite well. Pictures of him will come later.

Afterwords Bente could eat her last meal before the operation. When we came upstairs to the hospital cafeteria, nobody knew a single word in English! So it was waving with hands, to explain birds and fish to get something to eat... :) They made a real effort to help us. So in the end we got some chicken, and this picture is what we got on our plate. While I thought it tasted lovely, my friend was too nervous to eat. So I could eat what she didn't manage... :)

The evening came, and it was time for the last prearations. The laxative drink. It tasted really bad, and the body would not accept it. It ended with vomit, and the nurses had to be creative the next morning.